Russia Battles Wildfires and Deforestation, Reveals Latest Environmental Data

Russia Battles Wildfires and Deforestation, Reveals Latest Environmental Data

Russia, with its vast expanse covering over 1.68 billion hectares, is facing significant environmental challenges as recent data indicates. The country's tree cover, which extends over 761 million hectares, has been subject to various drivers of deforestation. In the period from 2001 to 2022, Russia experienced a net loss in tree cover of approximately 37.40 million hectares, with a marginal gain of around 37.20 million hectares, leading to a net change of -176,88.69 hectares. This equates to a net change of approximately -0.02%.

Wildfires have been a major contributing factor, with incidents such as the recent one in Zabaykalsky Krai on August 15, 2024, highlighting the ongoing struggle. Over the years, wildfires have been responsible for the majority of tree cover loss, followed by forestry activities. For instance, in 2022 alone, wildfires accounted for over 3.10 million hectares of tree cover loss, which is nearly 73% of the total loss for that year.